Numbers

I had a health screening today, and spent a large part of the afternoon freaking out about some of the numbers.




Height- 5'6"
Weight- 125lbs
BMI (height/weight ratio)- 20.5 (should be between 18.5 and 24.9)
Body Fat- 25% (should be between 21% and 31%)


Blood Sugars(fasting)(should be 70-105--> mine is 107)
*Update July: My mother-in-law is a dietician and diabetes specialist so she set me up with my very own accucheck nano blood glucose meter. my most recent fasting reading was a 94!


HDL=good cholesterol (should be over 40--> mine is 81)
LDL= bad cholesterol (should be under 130--> mine is 87)
Triglycerides= basically blood fat (should be under 150--> mine is 186)


Total Cholesterol= LDL + HDL + 20% Triglycerides (should be under 200--> mine is 205)
*Because my HDL (good) is really high, my overall cholesterol number isn't really indicative of my cholesterol health. If my HDL were less awesome, my total cholesterol would be normal.


HDL Ratio (Heart Risk)= Total/HDL (should be less than 5:1, ideally 3.5:1 --> mine is 2.5:1)




After much reading, and discussion, I understand that almost all of my numbers are perfect. Even my Overall cholesterol, when viewed as a heart risk ratio and acknowledging my kick-ass HDL cholesterol is actually very good. So when we narrow down what my bad numbers actually are, an elevated level of triglycerides and blood sugars is an indicator that I could be at risk for diabetes, or that my pancreas isn't functioning as well as it could.


What to do about it?

• Get a second opinion- having the tests done again will assure that these numbers are consistently bad.
• Up Omega 3s which lower triglyceride levels and are great for inflammation in the body too. I have good blood pressure and am not on blood thinners, so supplementing with these essential fatty acids that our body doesn't make (we get them from food) can only be helpful with my current situation. Also great for skin and hair! I am supplementing my omega-3s with krill oil which is less fishy than fish oil!
• Eat more pancreatic-friendly foods: antioxidant rich foods (like blueberries and cherries and cacao!!!) and allium rich foods (like garlic and onions) help with healthy pancreatic function